Having the capacity to feel what we feel. Laugh how we laugh. Cry how we cry. Love how we love. Hurt how we hurt.

People of all peoples, races of all walks can relate to this.

It is not hard to see that Adam Goodes is hurting. It’s not hard to see that Lewis Jetta is hurting.

Anyone that saw the events at Subiaco Oval on Sunday can agree on that.

Two years ago, it was another AFL footballer that opened my mind to the hurt that victims of racism feel. Heritier Lumumba, or Harry O’Brien as he was then known, went on AFL 360 to address the issue of casual racism.

The raw emotion with which he expressed how deeply our lack of understanding affects him really struck a chord with me. It changed my whole perspective. It changed my life.

It was the moment when I understood that we non-Indigenous Australians simply cannot understand racism on the same level as victims.

But what we can understand is that they are still hurting. There is all too commonly a racial undertone when the “I’m not a racist, but…” people pipe up. When the Goodes booers ‘boo’.

While people continue to argue on why they can and can’t ‘boo’ Adam Goodes, we all continue to witness the undeniable hurt he feels. He’s a human being, after all.

But where the community is divided is by how we define racism. It’s a grey area.

The next step for the Adam Goodes booers of the world is learning to accept that their views on what is racist differ from the views of Indigenous Australians.

And I’m taking their word for it. What is and isn’t racist remains murky, but their hurt is clearer than day.

I am writing on behalf of hundreds of people who have expressed confusion and disappointment over your coverage of the March In May in your respective Monday papers. I’ve addressed the letter to both papers as Google informs us that you are friends.

Firstly to the Telegraph, your consistent disregard for concepts of respect and truth empower us. “THE FERALS ARE REVOLTING” by Matthew Benns. – Are you havin’ a laugh?

This headline brought back memories of Telegraph journo Tim Blair’s article on the first marches (in march) which sliced and diced the event like one would a tomato for bruschetta. Matthew Benns story on Sunday’s event was similarly cynical towards the the March Australia community.Your imagery on the front cover, Page “04” and page “05” chose to focus on the 13 rascals who were arrested when a “small group protesters broke away from the march near Central Station.” Among the three colour pages you set aside to March Australia, the Telegraph editors found no place to honour and acknowledge the 14,987 people who walked peacefully (apart from an image the size of a $1 scratchy in the bottom third).

I’m not sure whom I feel more empathy towards? The young men and woman you chose to dehumanise on your front cover or journalist Matthew Benns and the employees at the Daily Telegraph. I couldn’t imagine the pain of having to wrench myself out of bed everyday to go and work in an environment that thrives on cynicism and has vested interests in scooting from the truth. To the Sydney Morning Herald – on Monday your newspaper disappointed the Australian community for a third time. It was encouraging to read that you had sent two journalists down to 2nd round of March Australia events after you’d chosen not to print a word on the first march. Once again though, your pages did not honour those who marched with a simple mantra: “We want a better government.”

Months ago you were sent Letter #2 which said I believed the march was “in fact a beautiful initiative to support a government,” as we are peacefully highlighting the changes we want – giving our democracy a voice. Exercising our “Supreme Power.”

From what I’ve come to learn – March Australia is a movement that ALL Australians can feel part of. 15,000 people in Sydney decided to give up their Sunday to tell the government why they are not happy and they did so in peace. You can understand our dismay when our “grab-bag” of issues were once again undermined by the Sydney Morning Herald:

“There wasn’t much but anti-Abbott sentiment to unite those gathered at Sydney’s Belmore Park waving signs in support of everything from ABC funding and asylum seekers to artists and sharks.” Sydney Morning Herald, why didn’t you encourage your young writers to dig a little deeper?

Political reporter Jacqueline Maley acknowledged the use of ‘sense and civilility’ in a letter we sent through to the Sydney Morning Herald on March 18th. Your team knew we were supporters of the March Australia community and we expressed clear disappointment in not having our side of the story heard. On Monday your paper did it’s best to sidestep our voice for a third time. Why? We could have put you in touch with any number of intelligent and civil people. Instead you gave the biggest feature of your article to a chance passer-by named Edna Dashwood who was out on an “afternoon stroll” with her two children. You quoted Edna as saying:

“We’ll march if they start talking about anything we feel passionate about. I am more concerned with changes that affect workers rather than those to do with welfare” said Ms Dashwood.

Dear Edna… If only she knew. Your two young reporters could have filled her in right then and there. As the SMH article said later, Australian’s marched to call for protection of Arts funding, the ABC, Sharks and greater care of Asylum Seekers. Imagine if Edna had known that thousands marched for Tasmanian forests, the Great Barrier Reef, protection of our drinking water from Coal Seam Gas mining and for equal marriage rights for the LGBT community. Imagine if Edna’s children had understood that a sea of faces were there to call upon the government to relieve us of our greatest national shame of having not yet recognised the true history of this land, and to give us the chance to amend the fact that; no matter what Andrew Bolt says – Australia is one of the only remaining countries in the world NOT to recognise it’s first peoples in its’ Constitution.

The difference between the March in March and Sundays 2nd installment was that 14,987 people came with a lot more clarity and intelligence. People left their Phallus placards at home and “F*** Tony Abbott” shirts in the wardrobe. We mustered fresh new friends and family across Sydney, Adelaide and Perth who found confidence to march after the Abbott government broke its’ pinky-promises in last weeks budget.
We see powerful hope in this idea. We’ve proved it: Australian’s are willing to put all differences aside and unite under the banner of TRUTH. Thankfully the power to discover credible and unbiased news (truth) is now firmly in the palms of our hands and the mainstream media’s future is at the mercy of our fingertips. We no longer depend on media outlets to get to the heart of what’s really going on – we are living in a new age where digital people power is uniting and setting us free. The proof is in the pudding 🙂

To the Telegraph and the Sydney Morning Herald – it’s simple – we want more compassion from the government and we want our future back. All Australians want to have confidence that the ‘future Australia’ we are promised and vote for is the landscape we experience.

We look forward to joining you on the streets in August.

– Love Your Mother

If you would like to read our letters re March In March coverage head here:

PS: Below is a series of testimonials from an independent March Australia instagram account – For full comments head to @marchaustralia or view them here:
1. http://instagram.com/p/oJ_nLiMk5t
2. http://instagram.com/p/oK1aZHsk_Z

projectofevolutionThe Ferals???….. I was at the march yesterday & saw nothing but passionate Australians uniting for each other & the future. There was laughter, jokes, chatting & chants amongst the marchers but the scene printed on that page is not even representative of what the vibe was like. Once again an inaccurate portrayal by the media desperate to portray the battlers as antisocial… So far from the truth.

bradmullins_hairI was there yesterday with friends . I was proud to be part of a such a peaceful march . It was a great cross section of young , old , creative , intelligent , passionate people . If the people there were considered ferals than I’m happy to be one. @marchaustralia
lautrichienneI took part at #marchaustralia in Melbourne on Sunday, and did not notice any disturbance or violence. The entire rally and march was so extremely well behaved, ironically I was rather worried that the march would be ridiculed as a Sunday stroll of middle class families not leaving a lasting impression (meaning that the anger and frustration over the cuts would not be communicated as powerful as it should) on media and onlookers. Although later the Federation Square was immensely crowded and speeches were emotionalising, people maintained a very civilised attitude. The interesting thing about the@dailytelegraph‘s attempts at manipulation is that 20 years ago it could have worked. Yesterday there were just too many people taking pictures and filming the whole entirely peaceful rally.

dougie_schofieldThe people I encountered were all incredibly nice, good hearted, well behaved people. I found the spirit and energy of the speeches to one of frustration and passion (understandably), and the march was happy, respectful and peaceful. As for the purpose, due to our current government, we have purpose to march every single day.

samma_j Sydney march there were people of all ages, I was especially surprised at the amount of older Australians but so proud to see them participating and sticking up for their rights! It was a peaceful environment full of passion! I took plenty of videos, particularly to show the positive nature, heaps of families, people having picnics, instruments, music and dancing because I knew the tele would find a way to spin it. Yesterday really showed the diverse range of citizens upset at the government. Best bit was all the cars driving past beeping and tapping their roof in support and recording it on their phones.

staceylove444I was at the Sydney march yesterday (and the one in March) and was filled with gratitude, I even shed a tear or two… People from all walks of life coming together to stand up for what’s right. I had my 8 month old baby with me and we saw nothing but love, compassion & kindness. Couldn’t have been prouder to be a part of something so important.

johnnoboy65It was a wonderful human affair – all walks of life represented. Shame on any media that presented it as otherwise.

On March 16th, 2014 – 100,000 people took part in an event across Australia called the March In March. It was a grass roots event in 32 locations. The event since then has renamed itself – “March Australia.” This weekend, May 18 a smaller round of marches are taking place in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth before the whole of Australia assembles again in August.

It’s too early to tell what sort of political impact the March Australia movement will have, where it’s headed or what it will look like after August. It’s an interesting time ahead.

I won’t be marching this weekend as I’m away but I wanted to share #7 personal reasons I’m thankful I attended March in March.

-Tim

#1 – I woke up

For my 27 years of life I would say I have been relatively apathetic and disinterested in parliamentary chit chat at dinner tables. When Tony Abbott’s government came to power I suddenly saw a power that was disrespecting values that I held close to my heart. The March In March was the first time as an adult I felt 100% compelled to skip the Marrickville markets on a Sunday to raise my voice.

I felt propelled to want to know more about the system and strive for truth. It made me explore basic basic ideas again, such as what was the definition of a government?

#2 – I had faith to walk blindly

The March In March was an entirely new movement. There was uncertainty for all involved. Would anyone even show up?

The moment I decided I was going to back the event 100% was when I stumbled upon the mission statement:

“March In March is a peaceful non-partisan event to voice no confidence in certain policies of the government that go against common principles of humanity, decency, fairness, social justice and equity, democratic governance, responsible global citizenship and conserving our natural heritage.“

I took a step into the dark with 100,000 others and was rewarded. I left feeling hopeful and empowered. From a simple idea a new movement had been created – and if it was nurtured it would be one that every Australian could happily join 1000 years into the future.

#3 – To Power Of Cynicism

“Our greatest enemy is not Tony Abbott, it’s our own cynicism”

How often do you hear it…. “We are powerless – we can’t change those in power” “What’s the point?” “There’s no hope.” Shh..No more. Please. Or atleast when I’m out of the room.

The great English songwriter Billy Bragg spoke perfect words as it rained down before we marched. He said our greatest enemies are not Tony Abbott or Gina Rinehart – it’s our own cynicism – our own attitudes that we can’t create the change or change the people in power.

I had often thought about the cynicism that festers around our suburbs, our cities and our towns. March In March was the first time I wholly believed it can be overcome. I have full faith that as a nation we can shed our generally apathetic Australian skin and start believing in what we can accomplish together.

Since March In March there have been some REAL examples of human spirit prevailing.

#4 Humans are compassionate

The March In March gave me time and space to reflect on humans as 20,000 Sydney-siders walked up broadway towards Newtown. I looked up to the monstrous buildings and passing cars. Humans are so darn clever. We’ve conquered the world. We fly planes, have been to space and just the other day created internet…

“George!? What do you mean you will send me an email from London via invisible energy that will arrive in the next minute!?”

Amid all of this mind blowing world conquering creation, we have left the essence of a few things behind. We’ve forgotten to love, look and listen to each other. How can you take into account the needs of others if you are constantly racing to try and get to the top of the stairs first.

The March In March saw 100,000 people putting aside individual ambition for a day – to raise concern for other human beings. For thousands It was an act of peace and love. It was a call for compassion. Compassion to mother earth and all people of the world.

#5 – The Power Of Intelligence

The March In March make me reconcile with an idea: I know nothing.
My knowledge in politics beyond stories, faces and Year 10 humanities classes is limited. I realised that If I want to convince my family, friends or the Prime Minister that policy change is necessary in certain areas I need to be able to express why.

*When issues of equal rights, environmental protection and safety of asylum seekers is concerned – it may take you as little a 2 minutes to build a compelling case.

#6 Peace is the Pathway

It can be hard in this big old world not to react with emotion when you don’t agree with a sentiment you hear or read. Always be civil. Don’t let your ego get in the way of an intelligent response. Strive to be civil with your words, your actions, always have peace as your goal. The media painted the march as an “Abbott hate march” that was defacing our the Prime Minister. This was only 1 side of the story.

While the funny signs and idea of “hate” played a big role in bringing people together – looking ahead March In March need to channel the words of the greats – their path has to be intelligent with a focus on peace. A March Australia culture built on hate isn’t sustainable, nor is any culture built on hate.
(Apart from Fight Club)

I remember best the music, costumes, colour and smiles at March In March.

#7 The Digital Road To Freedom

While the March in March was by no means the first of it’s kind – it blossomed from the ideas of some average joes who saw the power of Facebook to create a movement of like minded people. It grew and it grew. Like by like. 1 by 1 – little step by little step…

Once upon a time – folk would roll down to a march then would head home. Interaction with a mass audience and other activists would end at the end of the event. The new power we possess is that we are able to connect with each other long before and forever after after the event. I can easily find someone in Ethiopia and share truth.

While digital communication may not be “Real” – it can connect us. It has infinite possibility – whereas if I leave my house, my voice will only reach a certain way down the street if I call out. There needs to be a perfect combination of real human interaction, but honouring the very real fact that billions spend more time on their computers than they do outside or talking to people.
If you are reluctant to explore the digital world – I understand, but know that it doesn’t have to consume all your life – it can simply be a small part that brings about incredible change for your community through “clicktivism.”

Other March Australia Reflections

I hope moving forwards the organisers of March Australia have the confidence to challenge the Australian community to unite on principles of peace and intelligence.

From an outsiders point of view I have been watching the activities of the organisers online every day. It is very early days but one thing is clear:there is a lack of cohesion and vision among the 32 different Facebook pages. The national page (with 54,700 FB Likes) has focused heavily on demonising Prime Minister Abbott as opposed to celebrating the beauty that was The March In March.

I have spoken with former organisers via FB and email who have since left the March Australia organising team with plans to create their own movements. This worries me as to how it will fracture the momentum, but I have complete faith in March Australia. To the organisers if you are listening, your path to freedom is clear: 1. Peace 2. Intelligence.Since the 2014 budget announcement more and more people are realising they are not happy with the Abbott government.

If you head over and observe the strategy of the March Australia social media pages it’s disconcerting. Since the march events took place the Admins of the page have employed a strategy that continues to drive hate towards the government – where they could be uniting people with the following:

1. The beauty and colour seen in the images of march in march

2. Peaceful reminders of great minds such as Gandhi and Luther King.

3. Calling upon people to voice their opinions as opposed to telling people what to think.

Get in touch with organisers – let them know what you want. This is a national movement for the people.

If you are not quite sure what you are about to read, please read the FULL STORY HERE.

The following is a letter responding to an article written by Jacqueline Maley in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday March 22nd 2014.This 2nd letter was written on behalf of thousands of people who rallied behind a piece of writing representing a community striving to bring peace, compassion and unity. This effort was not deemed as “newsworthy” by a valued news source, The SMH. Thank you with all my heart to the FB gang. We’ve backed each other and learned valuable lessons on communicating with peace.

Thank you for responding to my letter Dear Sydney Morning Herald re The March In March in Saturday’s newspaper. The community appreciates Jacqueline Maley’s time in penning a thoughtful response. The SMH has provided us with a proud memento and evidence that the people have power. We understand there was an error in judgement and the paper’s honesty was appreciated. However it seems that our voice and request to have a balanced story on the March In March has fallen on deaf ears. The Sydney Morning Herald have now disappointed the Australian community, twice.

I want to express that although I personally have no faith in certain policies of the current government – I am a firm supporter of good government. I have no doubt that our Prime Minister is a good man. I would go as far to say that being the Prime Minister of Australia would be the hardest job in the country. I believe that “A peaceful, non-partisan citizens’ march and rally at Federal Parliament to protest against the current government’s policy decisions that are against the common good of our nation” quoted as the mission of the March In March on their website, is in fact a beautiful initiative to support a government. I view Australia as a united community. To thousands of us the idea of a body of people peacefully marching in the streets expressing concern for policies that cover protection of asylum seekers in our care, equal rights for ALL human beings and protection of the Great Barrier Reef to be well worth marching for.

I have had phone calls, texts and comments of many people highlighting the paper’s use of “grab-bag” when referring to policies involving humans and the environment. We understand that it is a loosely used term, but to many of us it embodies the very cynicism we are trying to overcome as a community. As Billy Bragg said prior to the MiM in Sydney, our greatest enemy to overcome is not Gina, Tony, or the LNP – it’s the cynicism and vitriol fostered in our communities. Over the past ten days our community has banded together with an idea that through intelligent, thoughtful, civil communication we can create change – and we have. Not only did our search for truth get mentioned in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday – on Monday it featured on ABC’s Media Watch. I was quoted on the show as saying: “Yesterday was a big day and you blatantly ignored it.” In the eyes of our community this sentiment still applies.

We acknowledge that what Maley reported was true. There were signs calling our leader a ”f—wit” and more than a dozen signs with our Prime Minister’s face set to the backdrop of a phallus. We also agree that there was plenty of vitriol directed at Tony Abbott on display. However Maley’s cynical words that the march’s only uniting theme was “raw hatred of the Prime Minister“ is something that this community will not let through to the wicketkeeper. To clarify to anyone who couldn’t make it to the march or those who didn’t support it’s concept – the only true uniting theme of the March In March in Sydney was a quest for more compassion in our government’s policies and greater protection for this big old Australian land which has sustained communities for 60,000 years.

I embody the idea of a newcomer to the political world. Up until 2013 I was more interested in the swell forecasts and listening to Al Green on repeat. In my short time as a member of the politically aware club – I have observed constant online chatter in forums and Facebook that produce lengthy “conversations” that I’d best describe with the words “waffle” or “dribble” as my mate Leesy used to say. Newcomers to the field such as myself need to be mindful of our place. We need to be truthful in the knowledge we possess and understand that politicians and journalists like Jacqueline Maley are paid to be in their jobs. They come from a wealth of knowledge and understanding of political culture. Each mainstream media outlet, politician and person has an important role to play from here onwards. We all need to get to know our local communities, learn how to be civil and get along with respect, be it at a March in March or in a Byron Bay surf lineup, as opposed to moving without awareness and communicating with cynicism and vitriol.

I personally agree with Maley that the dismissal of the mainstream media is strange. This week has surely shown that people are hungry for the touch of paper on Monday mornings to go with their chai lattes and muffins. But what the week also demonstrated is that the media don’t dig hard enough for voices of truth within the community, for those who are seeking to inspire on days like MiM.

Sydney has incredible community stories all over. Why don’t we explore this more? While many do explore, why are the rest of us so apathetic to looking outside our bubbles? Or is it that we just don’t know where to find rich community information? Maybe it’s because the idea of individualism is fostered from the moment we are born when we are tagged with a name, right up until the point we start taking “selfies.” Imagine a community that was encouraged to look outward more often, that a person could find happiness in assisting others. Australia was forged on the principles of community. It’s what sustained 60,000 years of Indigenous culture. We report on celebrities at the Ivy Pool when there are brilliant grass roots movements that would warm the heart of any reader. My analysis informs me that the Media would rather report on our Prime Minister being the number one ticket holder of a football club, than a true portrayal of a national march attended by over 100,000 people who sought to bring peace, compassion and love.

I don’t know if I’ll buy the Herald on Saturday. That decision lies in the hands of your team to decide if there is space. We all love sticking Michael Leunig cutouts on the fridge – his works are mementos that represent truthful compassionate explorations into the Australia’s collective consciousness. Our community would dearly love its own Leunig moment to honour our collective truth. If you are questioning “newsworthy” then I can tell you that 100,000 people have stated that reporting the truth on this event is very important to them.

Two weeks ago I posted a call-out on my Facebook inviting people to come and enjoy a morning in the backyard making colourful, peaceful signs with mantras protecting asylum seekers, giving the Aboriginal and LGBT communities equal rights and securing protection for our environment – home to one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a beautiful state full of forest. Maley was correct. We didn’t have one all-encompassing reason for the march to begin with. Then my buddy Julia strolled up the side path with her brother Eamonn. Eamonn at 17 years old, had made the decision to travel down from the Blue Mountains to the big smoke to share his love for people and the environment. When I was in year 11 I was too concerned with swell directions and kicking goals for the Byron Bay Rams, so when I saw young Eamonn coming I felt instantly inspired. He introduced his name and shook my hand with grace. I suppose you could say it was a “sweet” moment. We sat under tall trees with new friends listening to John Lennon, Aretha Franklin and an all star Aussie cast of Paul Kelly, Scott Ludlum, Warrumpi Band and Dan Sultan covering ‘Southern Sun.’ It was the idea that we were actually uniting around the idea of protecting our land for our youth.

With hindsight, the March In March signalled a chance to build a new community. A body of people who would intelligently and thoughtfully consider government policies that could be improved on the basis of humanity or environment. Having read thousands of comments, it appears that many view old-age care as something that needs addressing. Perhaps next march will focus one specific issue. That old-age care is a responsibility of our government? Either way – it’s nice to have the option if we ever need it.

Platform’s like March In March are forward thinking and community minded so should be supported by MSM, but when journalists such as Andrew Bolt make a move to fiercely dissect them to thousands of blog followers seeking to devalue them – what exactly is that achieving?

These types of thunderbolts are discouraging people from standing up to be heard. This is another form of cynicism from the media we need to eliminate. Why would anyone want to be associated with an event described as “witch-hunt” packed with “lefties”? I urge all Australians to read between the lines on this one. Make an educated decision.

Last night the March In March National Facebook page posted a statement acknowledging that certain activities “fell outside the vision of the event” and are being addressed for future. They reinforced the vision showing me forward, pro-active, intelligent thinking. The organisers can’t control who turns up on the day, but they should be proud to know that their efforts inspired Eamonn to give up his Sunday to travel down from the Mountains to the march, in a hope his voice would offer some support to our government.

That’s the other side that that the Sydney Morning Herald should have factored in before it went to print. The thousands of stories like Eamonn’s.

There is a new Australia in our sights where digital platforms are changing the terms of how and where we educate ourselves. Online platforms are built around nurturing communities with quality content. It will be interesting to see how the March In March embraces the limitless possibility of an already strong Facebook supporter base of 100k. The youth are starting to change and it’s inspiring the rest of us to put our iPhones away and hit the streets. It all comes back to nurturing our conversations, whether we are on the streets, at family dinners or out at the pub. If you have wisdom share it with peace. When I was 12 years old my Mum decided she needed a break from the chaos of Sydney and wanted to test the water of Byron Bay. I was in year 7 and I was just starting to see my life take shape. I was traumatised by the idea of moving. To her credit, mum used peaceful, intelligent thinking to get me on board. She said with a civil tone: “Hey, why don’t we just head up for 6 months and try it out?!” In my heart I knew it would be a longer journey but I trusted her intentions. I appreciated the way she was considerate to my feelings and didn’t use force. She opened my eyes to the beauty of the town and the the chance to learn to surf. That was all she needed to do.

On behalf of thousands, we thank the Sydney Morning Herald for overlooking the March In March event. It gave us a rare opportunity to show that people can rise to be heard.

Thanks to the many pair of eyes who all my heart goes to Dom, Funky, Sanch, Gibbens, Sas and Til who’ve been reminding me to eat, drink and sleep for the past 10 days, Sri Sri Dawson for Spiritual support – and to Tay for planting the seed in my mind of “living to serve others.”
The seed has grown from a large community of selfless Facebook friends. Part 1 was established from this network alone, part 2 came from a much wider community.
To my dear Dad and mother Anna for backing me to go for the sun on this idea. Eternally greatful.

It’s wild the opportunities that arise for each of us if we are willing to come face to face with the truth inside. If we know the truth then it’s our duty to follow through – and bring it to the attention of others. Namaste